Security News

India makes contact-tracing app compulsory in viral hot zones despite most local phones not being smart
2020-05-04 07:31

In 1965, Gordon Moore published a short informal paper, Cramming more components onto integrated circuits. Based on not much more but these few data points and his knowledge of silicon chip development - he was head of R&D at Fairchild Semiconductors, the company that was to seed Silicon Valley - he said that for the next decade, component counts by area could double every year.

Multiple vulnerabilities discovered in smart home devices
2020-04-22 09:30

With the current heightened requirement for IoT security, we are releasing this compilation of older findings to further advise all owners of the affected devices to apply the latest updates to their devices to increase their security and reduce exposure to outside attacks. "We found that security vulnerabilities in IoT devices are a prevalent issue. Our research also proves that flaws in settings, missing encryption or authentication are not exclusive to low-end cheap devices but are often present in high-end hardware too," says ESET Security and Awareness specialist Ondrej Kubovič.

Bot creates millions of fake eyeballs to rip off smart-TV advertisers
2020-04-20 11:26

Researchers have uncovered the biggest connected-TV ad fraud operation they've ever seen, fueled with fake ad views seen by bogus eyeballs that actually belonged to a bot network they named ICEBUCKET. Bot-mitigation security firm White Ops said on Thursday that at its peak - January 2020 - the ICEBUCKET bot operation impersonated more than 2 million people in over 30 countries. ICEBUCKET also cooked up 300 publishers out of thin air, then stole advertising dollars by tricking advertisers into thinking there were real people on the other side of the screen.

Linksys forces password reset for Smart Wi-Fi accounts after router DNS hack pointed users at COVID-19 malware
2020-04-15 19:03

Router biz Linksys has reset all its customers' Smart Wi-Fi account passwords after cybercrims accessed a bunch and redirected hapless users to COVID-19 themed malware. Hackers with access to Linksys Smart Wi-Fi accounts were changing home routers' DNS server settings.

‘Unbreakable’ Smart Lock Draws FTC Ire for Deceptive Security Claims
2020-04-09 12:55

The Federal Trade Commission has slapped Tapplock, the maker of smart padlocks that it bills as "Unbreakable," with an official complaint that could lead to fines down the road. The agency alleges that the company engaged in false and deceptive claims about its security practices, after the lock was shown to be hackable. The $100 Tapplock smart locks are internet-connected and use fingerprint biometrics for security.

COVID-19 pandemic impact pushing smart home voice control devices to predicted 30% growth
2020-04-01 19:20

With so many millions of people working from home, the value of voice control during the pandemic will ensure that this year, voice control device shipments will grow globally by close to 30% over 2019-despite the key China market being impacted during the first quarter of 2020, according to global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research. Last year, 141 million voice control smart home devices shipped worldwide, the firm said.

S2 Ep29: Facial recognition, malware madness and smart speakers – Naked Security Podcast
2020-03-04 15:08

This week we discuss the latest in the Clearview AI debacle, get more tales from the ransomware swamp and discover how often our smart speakers are listening to us. Host Anna Brading is joined by Sophos experts Paul Ducklin and Peter Mackenzie, and me!

GCHQ's infosec arm has 3 simple tips to secure those insecure smart home gadgets
2020-03-03 15:30

Britain's National Cyber Security Centre wants owners of baby monitors and smart CCTV cameras to take some basic security precautions. Keep your camera secure by regularly updating security software.

Forrester: Keeping Smart Cities Safe From Hacks
2020-03-02 19:23

Emerging technologies being adopted by cities - like facial recognition, smart-city technologies like smart lighting, and 5G-driven IoT - are opening up municipalities to even more security and privacy threats. Tara Seals: So I wanted to talk to you a little bit about smart cities and municipalities in general and some of the security threats that they're facing.

RSAC 2020: Smart Baby Monitor Vulnerable to Remote Hackers
2020-02-27 03:56

The vulnerabilities were discovered in the iBaby Monitor M6S connected baby camera by researchers with Bitdefender. "We've tried to reach out to iBaby since May 2019 about three major vulnerabilities in their baby monitor but haven't heard back," Alex Jay Balan, chief security researcher at Bitdefender, said during an RSA session.